Automatic trapdoor for mines



W. W. WINGO.

AUTOMATIC TRAPDGOR FOR MINES APPLICATION FILED MAYHfIQZO.

w ITNESS E5 Patented Aug. 23, 1921 I 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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mvzriron av W ATTORNEY W. W. WINGO. AUTOMATIC TRAPDOOR FOR MINES. APPLICATION FILED MAY14,I920.

1,388,681 PatentedAug. 23,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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mvzu'ron WITNESSEG: ATTORNEY W. W. WINGO.

AUTOMATIC TRAPDOOR ron MINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, I920. 1,388,681. Patented g- 23, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHET 3.

u 6 III II I Q I s R ATIORNEY UNITED STATES WILLIAM W'. WINGO, OF WILBURTON, OKLAHOMA.

AUTOMATIC TRAPDOOR FOR MINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented An". 23, 1921.

Application flled May 14, 1920. Serial No. 381,351.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that WILLIAM W. WINeo,a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilburton, in the county of Latimer and State of Oklahoma, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Trapdoors for Mines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gates and doors, particularly to those of the automatically operated type, and has for its object the provision of a door structure extending transversely of a mine track, means being provided whereby upon the approach of a car the door will be automatically opened and whereby after the car has passed through the gate the gate will be automatically closed, the operation being equally efficient when the car approaches from either side of the gate.

An important object is the provision of a door mechanism of this character which is operated entirely by trips engaged by the axles or some other portion of the car traveling over the track, whereby the action will be purely automatic.

An additional objectis the provision of a gate or door mechanism of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in construction and installation, highly efficient in use, durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation with the gate in closed position,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the trip at one side of the gate operated and the gate swung open,

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the trip at the other side of the gate operated for returning the gate to closed position,

Fig. 1 is a plan view,

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken through the catch carrying post, and

Fig. 6 is a transverse view showing the trap mechanism for the door.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a track which includes the usual rails mounted upon ordinary ties. Extending transversely of the track is an upstanding rectangular frame 11 having a door or gate 12 which is vertically pivoted and slightly inclined to permit gravitational swinging movement there of in a horizontal plane, as clearly shown in Fig. 4: of the drawing. The gate is so mounted or weighted that it will be normally in closed position extending transversely of the track and frame 11.

Secured rigidly at a point spaced from one of the sides of the gate frame 11 is a standard 13 which is in the nature of a post and upon which is pivotally mounted, as shown at 14, a catch member 15 normally urged down wardly by a spring 16. The construction of this catch member is such that when the door 12 is swung to open position it will engage the catchand be held thereby in open position until positively released.

Secured at the same side of the track as the post 13 and at the opposite side of the door frame 11, is a post 17 which carries a guide pulley 18.

In order that the door may be automatically opened I provide at opposite sides of the door frame, rack shafts 19 and 20 which are journaled transversely of the track beneath the rails and between the ties thereof, suitable bearings 21 being provided. The rock shafts are provided with upwardly extending lugs 22 and 23, respectively, and carry at their ends levers Q 1 and 25, respectively, which have their lower ends weighted, as shown. Connected with the lower end of the arm 24: is a cable or other flexible member 26 which extends through a guide pulley 27 located at the side of the door frame 11, which also extends through the guide pulley l8 and which has its end connected with a curved arm 28 secured upon the door 12. Connected with the lower end of the lever is a cable or other flexible member 29 which is connected directly with the arm 28.

Connected with the upper end of the lever 24: is a flexible member 30 which is trained through a guide pulley 31 on the top of the post or standard 13 and which is connected with the free end of the catch 15. Connected with the upper end of the lever 25 is a flexible member 32 which is trained through a guide pulley 33 on the top of the door frame 11 and which is also trained through the pulley 31 and connected with the end of the catch member.

The operation of the device is as, follows:

Assuming that the car approaches the door from the left as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, when the car engages the upstanding lug 22 of the rock shaft 19, a pull will be exerted on cable 29 attached to the curved arm 28 of the gate thereby opening the same as clearly shown. Such movement of the rock shaft 19 and its weighted lever will produce sufficient slack in the cable 32 connected to the beveled latch 15 to permit the said latch to lie loosely on its hinge so that the gate may ride under the same and be retained in its open position, it being understood however that the hinge will not be effected by the oscillating movement of the lever returning to its normal position as shown in Fig. 1. After the car has passed through the gate and strikes the lug 23 of the weighted lever 24, a cable will be actuated to raise the latch, sufficient slack being thus had in the cable 26 to permit the gate to swing gravitationally on its pivot and be closed. Of course, the weighted levers are positioned sufficiently removed from the gate and gate post so that the actuation of the said levers will take place when closing the gate at a time when the car has passed entirely through the gate opening, as is well understood.

Assuming that the car approaches the door from the right and in the reverse direction, when the car engages the upstanding lug 23 of the rock shaft 20, a pull will be exerted on cable 26, also connected to the curved arm 28, thereby opening the door and causing sufficient slack in the cable 30 to permit the gate to ride under the latch. The weighted lever 24 of the rock shaft 20 will also return to its normal vertical position, and after the car has passed through the ate, the same will actuate the lug 22 therey causing a pull on cable 32 to raise the latch to allow the gate to swing on its inclined ivot gravitationally. In each instance, ltilS pointed out that the rock shaft and levers are, in practice, positioned at a distance quite considerable from the door opening and the oscillating movement of said weighted levers returning to their normal position is very slight and not sufficient to raise the latch before the car passes through the gate.

From the foregoing description and a. study of the drawin it will be apparent thatIhave thus provi ed a simply constructed door construction for use upon mine railways and the like, which will be entirely automatic in action, and actuated purely by the passage of a train or car along the track- Wa l l hile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction, and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention of the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a track way, a vertical, pivoted, gravity controlled door disposed transversely of the track way, rock shafts journaled transversely of the track way on opposite sides of the door, car engaging lugs carried by the rock shafts and positioned in the track way, weighted levers carried by the outer ends of the rock shafts, an offset latch post and latch carried thereby; flexible elements connecting the said levers with the gate and latch whereby the gate is open when the rock shafts are actuated and automatically closed after the car passes the gate.

2. In combination with a track way, a gravity controlled door disposed transversely of the track way, rock shafts journaled transversely of and below the track way on opposite sides of the door, car engaging lugs carried by said shafts, freely movable weighted levers carried by the outer ends of the rock shafts and outside of the track way, an offset latch post and a spring controlled horizontally pivot latch therefor, a curved arm secured to said gate, flexible elements loosely connecting the lower terminals of said weighted levers with the curved arm, and flexible elements loosely connecting the upper terminals of said levers with the latch whereby the gate is opened and latched when the rock shafts are actuated and the latch automatically released by the levers when the car passes the ts.

In testimony whereof flflix my signature.

' WILLIAM W. WTNGO. 

